Spring assembly structure



Nov. 20, 1962 NACHMAN, 3,064,280

SPRING ASSEMBLY STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 17, 1960 512] i Vi/ A,

I INVENTOR. g5 76 FIG 5 Redd. flacizman J'n WWWYM 3,964,280 PatentedNov. 20, 1962 3,064,280 SPRING ASSEMBLY STRUCTURE Fred A. Nachman, In,Chicago, Ill., assignor to Nachman Corporation, Chicago, 111., acorporation of l'llinois Filed Nov. 17, 196i), Ser. No. 69,958 19Qlaims. (Cl. -353) This invention relates to spring assemblies and itrelates more particularly to a bed spring or a spring for an innerspring mattress which is characterized by a greater resiliency andstiffness in the edge construction coupled with greater resiliency andstiffness in the body portion without increase in cost of the springassembly from the standpoint of the additional usage of stiffening orre-enforcing members without loss of the ability of the spring assemblyto retain a relatively uniformly fiat surface.

It is an object of this invention to produce a spring assemblycharacterized by improved resiliency and stiffness both in the edgeconstruction and in the body portion, and it is a related object toachieve the improved resiliency and stifiness merely by the constructionand arrangement of the spring elements as distinguished from theadditions of stiffening and re-enforcing members, as heretoforepracticed.

Another object is to produce a new and improved bed spring assemblyformed of relatively low cost and readily available materials which areeasily assembled into a strong and sturdy spring assembly having goodfeel and resiliency throughout the entire area thereof including theedge portions as Well as the body portion and which retains itsresiliency and feel over great periods of actual use by comparison withpresent spring constructions.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention willhereinafter appear, and for purposes of illustration but not oflimitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a bed spring assembly embodying thefeatures of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 ofFIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective elevational view of a Marshall type spring unitemployed in the spring assembly embodying the features of thisinvention.

The concepts of this invention are embodied in a coil spring assemblyformed of a plurality of coil springs 10, most of which are arranged inrows 12 and 14 extending lengthwise and crosswise between verticallyspaced-apart, upper and lower border wire members 16 and 18respectively. The border wires are aligned with the upper and lowerterminal coils of the outermost coil springs.

All of the coil springs with the exception of the outermost coil spring20 are confined within cells 22 formed of textile or the like fabric 24into compartments having a cross section corresponding to or slightlygreater than the confined coil springs and a height less than the heightof the confined coil springs when in their relaxed state so that each ofthe coil springs will be confined in a tensioned relationship withineach of the cells. The described construction wherein the coil springslll are confined within cells 22 of smaller dimension to form the bodyportion of the spring assembly is generally referred to in the trade asMarshall type units, more fully described in the United States PatentNo. 2,790,979.

The Marshall units may be separately formed into individual cells whichare aligned in the lengthwise and crosswise rows and joined one to theother in the assembled relation as by staples 26, stitching or the likefastening means to interconnect the top and bottom terminal coils of theadjacent coil springs, as illustrated in the figures. Instead, theMarshall type units can be preformed into rows wherein a plurality ofcoil springs are arranged in the desired spaced relationship withinlengths of fabric which are then stitched together between the coilsprings to provide pockets within which the coil springs are retained ina compressed state, and after which the rows can be aligned for crossconnection between terminal coils of adjacent coil springs tointerconnect the rows into a spring assembly. It will be understood thatwhen formed of individual cells or rows of cells, the cells can bestaggered between rows, such for example as when a higher spring countis desired for greater stiffness support or resiliency.

In accordance with the concepts of this invention, a plurality of coilsprings 26 free of the fabric enclosures are arranged about theperimeter of the assembled Marshall unit for location between theMarshall section and the border wires 16 and 18. The outer coil springs20 are of a height corresponding to the height of the Marshall units andthey may be of the same cross section for alignment with the rows of thecoil springs forming the body portion of the spring assembly. It ispreferred, however, that the outermost coil springs 24} be of largerdimension and formed of spring wire of heavier gauge for greaterstiffness and resiliency. When formed of larger dimension, the coilsprings cannot be aligned with each row but instead are preferablyaligned with alternate row or other suitable spacing, as illustrated inPEG. 1.

To interconnect the Marshall units with the border wires in the springassembly, the inner portion of the top and bottom coils of the coilsprings 20 are connected, as by staples, stitching or the like to thecorresponding terminal coils of the adjacent outermost spring of theMarshall section, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3.

With the outer coil springs 20 free of the fabric enclosure, it becomespossible to embody an improved edge construction by arrangement of theborder frame members 16 and 18 to overlap the terminal coils of theoutermost coil spring by an amount to bring the border frame wires intosubstantially vertical alignment with the central body portion of thecoil springs, leaving enough of the terminal coil beyond the borderframe members for wrapping about the border frame members to effect afirm interconnection therebetween, as indicated by the numeral 28 inFIG. 1 of the drawings. By virtue of this practice, an assembly havingmarkedly improved characteristics from the standpoint of stength,resiliency and stiffness in the edge portions is achieved. By thearrangement of the border frame members to extend across the terminalcoils of the coil spring as a chord, the border frame member ispositioned in operative alignment with the principal lines of forcegenerated by the coil springs, especially when the border frame membersoverlie at least a portion of the coil of smallest dimension within theoutermost coil springs. This provides for greater resistance todeformation in the edge construction thereby to achieve an effect soughtto be secured by the objectionable usage of auxiliary spring elementssuch as spring arms vertically arranged between the border frame membersto stiffen the edge portion of the assembly.

If the border frame members were tied to the outer portions of theterminal coils of the outermost coil springs at their outer edgeportions, the edge construction of the spring assembly would be soft andexcessively depressed under the slightest loads. When interconnected inaccordance with the concepts of this invention, the coil springs aretied in more completely with the border frame members in a manner whichresists displacement and in a manner which is capable of maintaining thedesired assembled relationship notwithstanding the direction of appliedforce. It will be apparent further that the location of the border framemembers in a more effective 1 3 relationship with respect to the coilsprings of the assembly will enhance the reaction of the spring assemblyto the application of load from various directions for greaterresiliency and better .feel.

The combined operation of the inner Marshall portion of the springassembly and the described edge construction results in a multiple coilspring assembly which embodies the beneficial aspects of the Marshalltype construction while being free of the weaknesses characteristicthereof and which simultaneously provides the beneficial aspects of animproved edge construction which is not restricted to the specificsaddle type coils heretofore employed.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to coil springsof a particular shape or gauge and that use can be made of border framemembers of round or flattened lengths of spring wire, plastics, wood andthe like and that various other types of fastening means may be employedfor joining the Marshall type units one to the other and to the innerportions of the outermost coil springs.

It will be apparent that I have provided an improved spring assemblyhaving improvements in edge construction and in the construction of thebody portion which become so interrelated as beneficially to affect oneanother without destroying any of the desirable characteristics of theseparate complements.

Itwill be further understood that various changes may be made in theterms of construction, arrangement and operation without departing fromthe spirit and the scope of the invention, especially as defined in thefollowing claims:

I claim:

1. A multiple coil spring assembly comprising a plurality of coilsprings arranged in rows to form an internal spring portion and anexternal spring portion bordering the perimeter thereof and meansinterconnecting said spring portions, said internal spring portioncomprising a plurality of coil springs, a cell for each coil springformed. of textile material and dimensioned to have a diametercorresponding generally to the diameter of the coil springs and a lengthless than the normal length of the coil springs, said coil springs beingconfined within said cells in a compressed state to form prefabricatedunits which are separate and apart from each other, and meansinterconnecting said spring-containing cells aligned in rows to effectan assembled relation, and said external spring portion comprising aplurality of coil springs free of an enclosure and in an uncompressedstate positioned in crosswise and lengthwise rows about-the periphery ofthe assembled enclosed springs, a top border frame member, and acorresponding bottom border frame member arranged about the coil springsadjacent the top and bottom terminal coils and positioned to extend aschord members across the terminal coils to subdivide said coils intoinwardly extending portions and outwardly extending portions, the latterof which are wrapped about the border frame to effect an interconnectiontherebetween andto position the border frame members in substantialvertical alignment with the outer edges of the intermediate coils ofleast diameter in the coil springs thereby to locate the border framemembers in substantial vertical alignment with the major axial forcescapable of being developed by the engaged coil springs when said springsare inloaded condition.

2. A spring assembly comprising a plurality of coil springs confined ina compressed state within resilient enclosures, means interconnectingthe coil spring one with another in crosswise and lengthwise alignedrows to provide a unitary assembly, other individual coil springs freeof an enclosure and in an uncompressed state positioned in a crosswiseand lengthwise row about the periphery of the unitary assembly, meansinterconnecting the adjacent portions of the terminal coils of theadjacent coil springs outermost in the unitary assembly and the othercoil springs to interconnect the other coil springs with the unitaryassembly to form a part thereof, upper and lower border frame membersoverlying and underlying respectively the terminal coil of the othercoil springs to extend across a portion inwardly from the outer edges ofthe terminal coils of the other coil springs by an amount to provide anoutwardly extending portion which is wrapped about the border framemember for interconnection therebetween.

3. A spring assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which' the other coilsprings are dimensioned to have a relaxed height corresponding to theheight of the compressed coil springs in the unitary assembly.

4. A spring assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which the other coilsprings are formed of spring wire having a heavier gauge than the coilsprings in the unitary assembly.

5. A spring assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which the other coilsprings are aligned with alternate rows of the compressed coil springsin the unitary assembly.

6. A spring assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which the border framemembers are spaced inwardly from the outer edge of the terminal coilsfrom the other coil spring by an amount less than the diameter of theterminal coils.

7. A spring assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which the other coilsprings are of saddle shape and in which the border frame members extendas a chord across, the terminal coils of the coil springs insubstantially vertical alignment with the outer edge of the coil ofsmallest diameter in the other coil springs.

8. A spring assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which the means joiningthe coil springs one to another comprise clips.

9. A spring assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which the compressed coilsprings are separately housed within the separate enclosures for joiningone with another in References Cite-d in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 1,741,847 Kasper Dec. 31, 1929 2,048,979 Trotta et a1July 28, 1936 2,261,581 Gleason Nov. 4, 1941 2,715,435 Rymland Aug. 16,1955 2,885,693 Wuest May 12, 1959

